With so many mountain bikes out there — ranging in price from affordable to expensive — it can be hard to tell what brands offer a good deal and which brands offer pieces of junk. On this list, we give you the best mountain bikes for the price provided, so you know you get the best deal extended. If you are interested, then take a look.
When you go mountain biking, you not only get your daily exercise in, but you also get to view and traverse the natural landscape around where you live. Nothing beats a beautiful day when you ride with the wind in your face. However, we can not overstate the importance of a quality bike when you ride. Depending on where you ride, mountain biking conditions can range from mild to outright dangerously.
Regardless of the situation, you are in, you do not want a piece of junk when you fly down a steep incline. But how do you know which brands offer a great product, and which ones fall short? Do not panic. Luckily, on this, we organize some of the best mountain bikes for the price offered. We also give some advice for new riders who are shopping and biking for the first time. Come check it out!
Comparison Table
[amazon box=”B07GFCRMVG,B01BLPUBQ0,B07LFS9WKH,B01FJF1FHM,B07QX1XG9C,B07K7WXYJX,B07LBJ26CS,B07PD7Y974,B07BJXK622″ template=”table”]
How We Rate The Mountain Bikes On This List
Image by pexels
We rate the mountain bikes on this list by looking at three distinct areas for each product. Specifically, we look at the price, performance, and durability. For each of these areas we as questions that help us determine each product’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on these answers to these questions, we extrapolate a score out of five stars and assign it to each bike.
[amazon link=”B07GFCRMVG” title=”Guardian Bikes – Original Series” /]
[amazon box=”B07GFCRMVG”]
If you want the perfect mountain bike for your child, then look no further than Guardian Bikes’ original series. The mountain bike weighs around twenty-four pounds which makes it easy for kids to handle it both dismounted and while riding. Even the design of the bike itself optimizes natural balance which allows newer riders more confidence when biking. Kids will also enjoy the fun and exciting plans that come with each product and the included kickstand.
Guardian Bikes are also safer than a lot of other brands on the market right now. This distinction comes from their patented SureStop brakes. Unlike most bikes, which require kids to press both handles to activate the brakes, SureStop engages both breaks with one handle. This feature allows quicker stops and more control when on trails.
There are two options available for the bike: one comes with twenty-inch wheels and one speed and three hundred and sixty dollars, while the other comes with twenty-seven-inch wheels and a seven-speed and costs four hundred and thirty dollars. However, keep in mind that if you do not buy the bike in a store, then it will likely come unassembled. You can order it fully assembled, but it will cost an extra ninety dollars.
[amazon link=”B01BLPUBQ0″ title=”Gravity FSX 1.0 Dual Full Suspension Mountain Bike” /]
[amazon box=”B01BLPUBQ0″]
If you want a bike that can take a beating, then you cannot go wrong with the Gravity FSX 1.0 Dual Full Suspension mountain bike. The aluminum alloy frame on this product is well-built and can handle most types of trails that support bikes. The suspension on the bike helps support and redistribute the weight of individual riding it. As a result, this type of bike will be lighter on individuals with back problems. This suspension is thanks to the adjustable coil found in the rear of the product that braces the impact from bumpy trails.
While the wheels might not align perfectly, you can expect this feature with a bike around this price range. Regardless of the minor issue, the brakes usually correct any alignment issues. This model comes in one size: nineteen-inch wheels and a twenty-four level speed. At retail value, the mountain bike costs three hundred and sixty dollars, and assembly is relatively easy. However, you will need oil so you can so you can keep the suspension for getting stiff. This mountain bike does not come with a kickstand, so if the feature is a must-have for you, then look elsewhere.
[amazon link=”B07LFS9WKH” title=”Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire Mountain Bike” /]
[amazon box=”B07LFS9WKH”]
As its name implies, the Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire mountain bike is instantly recognizable with its large, overblown tires. While the four-inch tires might seem unsightly for some, they greatly improve performance with on rough trails. Usually, people use these types of mountain bikes for beach riding since the wheels can deal with soft material like sand and snow particularly well. However, the Mongoose mountain bike can deal with the large rocks and steep hills of mountain biking equally as well.
Mongoose makes the bikes with a steel cruiser frame. It comes with front and rear brake discs, seven-speed levels, and a three-piece crank set. The bikes cost around two hundred and forty dollars — which makes it a great value. Many of the higher-end fat tire bikes can cost upwards of one thousand dollars. This model works almost just as well and costs less than a third of what the more expensive brands charge.
However, we should mention that these mountain bikes probably will not fit smaller individuals well. The bike weighs around fifty pounds which can make it a real pain lighter people to transport it around. You should also know that some customers reported quality control issues like a misaligned frame or bent prongs. As such, you should scrutinize the product before you assemble it so you can make sure that everything is in order.
[amazon link=”B01FJF1FHM” title=”BEIOU Carbon Fiber 27.5 Mountain Bike” /]
[amazon box=”B01FJF1FHM”]
If you do not mind dropping some extra money, then the Beiou Carbon Fiber 27.5 mountain bike will give you one of the biggest bangs for your buck. Beiou makes their products out of carbon fiber which makes it incredibly light for its size — only twenty-two pounds! The product comes with a fork suspension that aids your balance during tough roads, and a hidden brake disc allows for quick, sudden stops.
The bike costs a lot more than the other bikes on this list — twelve hundred dollars for a seventeen-inch frame and twelve hundred and twenty dollars for a nineteen-inch structure. However, regarding carbon fiber bikes, this price is not that bad. A lot of other carbon fiber bikes can easily cost upwards of five to six thousand dollars. As such the Beiou Carbon Fiber 27.5 mountain remains a good deal for the discriminating bikers that want a higher end material than steel and aluminum.
[amazon link=”B07QX1XG9C” title=”Diamondback Bicycles Overdrive” /]
[amazon box=”B07QX1XG9C”]
If you want an excellent intermediate level mountain bike, then you cannot go wrong with the Overdrive mountain bike by Diamondback Bicycles. This mountain bike features an aluminum frame that weighs around thirty-two pounds — not as much as a steel frame and not as light as a carbon fiber frame. Another nice feature is it comes in lots of different sizes, so smaller or larger individuals will not be disappointed by a bicycle that does not fit.
The product is a good compromise between affordable and upper-end, and its price reflects this compromise. At retail value, the green mountain bike costs around six hundred dollars. However, some people complained that the seat on the Overdrive bike was not comfortable at all, so you may need to replace it if you find you do not like it.
[amazon link=”B07K7WXYJX” title=”Raleigh Bikes Tokul 2 Mountain Bike” /]
[amazon box=”B07K7WXYJX”]
The Tokul 2 mountain bike by Raleigh Bicycles is another good version of the aluminum frame, hardtailed suspension bike. This bike is very similar to the Diamondback Overdrive though it weighs a little less — around thirty pounds, instead of thirty-two. Depending on the size you purchase, the bike cost between seven hundred and eight hundred and thirty-five dollars.
However, there are a lot of moving components of the Tokul 2. While this feature might sound like a good thing, it requires quite a lot of maintenance if you use your bike a lot. And since the bike is not of the highest quality, these moving components do not offer much of a discernible benefit. As such, we generally recommend the Overdrive over this model.
[amazon link=”B07LBJ26CS” title=”Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike” /]
[amazon box=”B07LBJ26CS”]
While the steel frame and the hardtail suspension of the Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike do offer the bare necessities for light trails, you will likely want to stay off any more challenging trails. The twenty-one shift gears are a nice touch though; the suspension does react surprisingly well with rock sloped inclines. Still, The Schwinn costs around three hundred and twenty dollars at retail value.
While you cannot deny the affordability of the product, you can dismiss the quality. Many customers reported quality issues with their bicycles — things like broken pedal mechanisms, misaligned derailleurs, and poor chain quality. This decline in quality is disappointing because Schwinn used to be known for producing high-quality bicycles. However, if you get a mountain bike unaffected by the poor quality control, then the Schwinn High Timber remains a pretty good, cheap bike.
[amazon link=”B07PD7Y974” title=”Huffy Mountain Bike Aluminum Frame 21 Speed Tekton” /]
[amazon box=”B07PD7Y974″]
If you are getting your child their first mountain bike, but do not want to get anything too expensive in case they wreck it, or do not use it; then the Huffy Tekton mountain bike is an excellent choice for you. The bike only costs around two hundred and fifteen dollars, which makes it the most affordable option on this list. The product features twenty-one speeds, so your child can get used to changing and adjusting gears on the go.
However, the stiff suspensions do not offer much balance against rough hills, so stick to gentle slopes and cross country trails. The affordability of product also comes at the cost of quality, much like the Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike. Some customers reported missing parts in their delivery. Or, the products arrived broken. While these may have been isolated instances, a more plausible explanation is that Huffy needs to improve their quality control.
[amazon link=”B07BJXK622″ title=”Merax Finiss 26″ Aluminum Twenty-One Speed Mountain Bike” /]
[amazon box=”B07BJXK622″]
Besides its sleeker appearance and slightly larger size, there is not much of a difference between the Merax Finiss mountain bike and the Huffy mountain bike. However, the Merax Finiss does cost around eighty dollars more. While this mountain bike might be suited for the hills of San Francisco, or other smooth, slope areas, we cannot recommend it for serious mountain bikers. For one thing, adjusting the gears while riding on a hill with the bike requires a lot of practice.
The gears shift quite a lot due to poor tension on the derailleur. The valve tubes that come with the mountain bike are not made correctly, so they leak much more steadily than regular bikes — not to mention the brake system. When you try and stop the bike, it greets you with an overwhelming screech. While this goes away with time, the overall tightness of the brakes does not. Considering there are cheaper mountain bikes on this list, that offer better baseline quality than this bike, we do not recommend buying the Merax Finiss.
Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
image by Pe xels
If this is your first time purchasing a mountain bike, then the terminology and materials may not make much sense to you. Luckily, we organized a buyer’s guide so you can know which features you want to look out for when shopping.